The Danish Government has confirmed it intends to build the world’s first ‘energy islands’ as part of its new Climate Action Plan
Two 2-GW energy islands are being planned, one in the North Sea and one in the Baltic. The North Sea energy island will be a new man-made project; that in the Baltic will be based on the island of Bornholm.
The capacity of the North Sea project, the idea for which was first presented in 2019, could be eventually increased to 10 GW, the country’s finance ministry said.
In an announcement on 20 May 2020, the government said the offshore wind energy islands were part of a comprehensive climate plan designed to translate ambitious climate targets into concrete action.
Danish Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen said, “The coronavirus crisis is serious, and has made the need to think about the development of Denmark greater.
“We need a development that must be both green and economically wise. We must have the courage to change as we build. We are presenting a plan that will create the foundation for thousands of green jobs.”
Danish Climate Minister Dan Jørgensen said, “Denmark must be a green pioneer country, which is why we are holding fast with climate ambitions, even if we are in the midst of a historic crisis.
“With the establishment of the world’s first two energy islands, we are embarking on a whole new era in the Danish wind adventure.
“We are increasing the amount of offshore wind massively and at the same time we will be able to use green power in the tanks of trucks, cargo ships and aircraft. We are presenting a package that delivers CO2 reductions in the short term and paves the way for future climate-neutral Denmark.”
The government expects to convene parliament to begin negotiations of the proposal by the end of May.
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